The most anticipated sporting event of the year, the Sprint Triathlon 2012, will take place on May 13, and Hacienda Tres Rios will host this exciting competition.

The event will begin at 7:00 a.m. and over 300 male and female national and international athletes are expected to participate. The competition includes a 750 meter swim, a 20 kilometer bike ride and a 5 kilometer run. Participants will have the opportunity to experience the natural beauty of the Mexican Caribbean as much of the race takes place in Hacienda Tres Rios’ own 132 acre nature park.

The triathlon is being organized by Aire Libre. They are working with the Non-Violence Foundation, an organization with over 15 million members which is led by Yoko Ono and the Council of the Nobel Peace Prize. They are also working with the Livestrong Foundation, founded by legendary cyclist Lance Armstrong. The event is sponsored by Sunset World Resorts & Vacation Experiences, Televisa and TVC Sports among others. Main objectives include promoting the sport as well at the Riviera Maya as an important tourist destination.

For those who have not yet entered, there is still time, registration is open through May 12. Athletes will be divided into male and female categories by age. There will also be some mixed categories.

Join us for Sprint Triathlon 2012 as a participant or a spectator!

The Riviera Maya is a beautiful place to play golf in an environment totally in harmony with nature, where you can observe birds and small mammals and a spectacular view of the beautiful turquoise Caribbean Sea that characterizes this destination.

In February, the Fairmont Mayakoba Resort will host the 6^th Mayakoba PGA TOUR Golf Classic. This annual PGA event was the first to be held outside the United States and Canada. This tournament will take place from the 23rd through the 27th of February 2012 at El Chameleon golf course.

This professional course designed by golfing great Greg Norman is unique because it is spread over three different extensions: rainforest, mangroves and amazing views of the white sand characteristic of the region. The holes are separated by massive limestone canals.

Considered one of the best tournaments in the league and recognized as the event in Latin America with the best prize, it is important to mention that the tournament also supports and benefits local, national and international charities and disseminates and promotes the sport of golf.

The Mayakoba Golf Classic made history in the golf world in February 2007 by being the first official event of the PGA TOUR. The event will be broadcast to over 200 countries and 132 professional golfers will participate in four rounds of stroke play competition at El Chameleon Golf Club.

Players who wish to indulge in the Riviera Maya and play some golf now have perfect excuse. Hacienda Tres Rios has designed various packages for this incredible event and our ecotourism resort is located very close to the venue. You will be very comfortable enjoying the exclusivity of our beautiful resort while staying very close to this great event.

Recently Trip Advisor, the website which provides the “World’s Most Trusted Travel Advice”, announced the results of their annual survey on beach and pool etiquette. We’ve all been there…our relaxing afternoon ruined by blasting music or an intoxicated person. Maybe we’ve even all been the one violating beach etiquette now and then. This is some of what TA discovered in their survey:

The worst beach and pool etiquette offenders are Americans, and more specifically, New Yorkers, followed by residents of New Jersey and Florida.

The most annoying violations were found to be: loud music, beach chair hogging and smoking.

11% of the people surveyed admitted to reserving lounge chairs by getting up early and leaving their possessions on them, and 85% considered this unacceptable behavior.

The top “restricted access” zones that travelers would like to see on beaches and at pools are pet-free areas and child-free areas.

As far as personal space on the beach, 31% felt that their personal space is always or often invaded. At a crowded beach, 28 percent considered six feet to be the closest acceptable distance to sit next to a stranger while at an un-crowded beach, 30 percent considered 20 feet to be the closest acceptable distance to sit next to a stranger.

As far as fashion faux pas go, 34 percent considered it an etiquette violation for men to wear Speedos and 78 percent think it’s okay for women to go topless at the beach or pool, in destinations where it’s culturally acceptable.

What are your beach and pool etiquette pet peeves?

*HTR would like to thank lakewentworth for their great Lego picture!

We invite you to see the world in a whole new light: stand up, take responsibility and lead the way towards a sustainable future.

Hacienda Tres Ríos is happy to announce that it will join the Earth Hour initiative for a second year in a row. The resort will turn off its lights for Earth Hour 2011, Saturday, March 26th at 8:30 p.m.

With more than 125 countries involved, Earth Hour is the biggest worldwide event for actions on climate change.

This year, Hacienda Tres Ríos will explain the global movement to its staff members and guests. The resort will go dark for one hour and will light up with torches and candles for the special Mayan fire show.

Begun in 2007, Earth Hour hopes one hour will lead to further changes for environmental preservation. This year, the campaign will go hand-in-hand with a second campaign: “Beyond the Hour”. The platform allows anybody to post and pledge his or her environmental actions and then share those promises and stories through their social networks.

The goal is to expand conscious efforts for environmental preservation. So how are we going beyond the hour?

Our Best Environmental Practices

Conservation of 2,700 plants and 11 endangered species in the nursery.
Reduction of sunlight in rooms, lowering the need for air-conditioning.
Reduction of unnecessary energy with in-room sensors to shut off lights when rooms are empty.
Pre-cooling of air-conditioning systems with cold water from deep wells.
Eliminating the need for boilers or the burning of fuel. Heat emitted from air-conditioners is used to heat water in the resort.
Reforestation of over 50,000 plants and 108 acres of mangrove forests to restore hurricane damage.
Only desalinated and filtered sea water is used throughout the resort.

How will you go beyond the hour?

Inspired by our recent visit to Xcaret’s 1^st Mexican Wine Festival in the Riviera Maya, we decided to dive more into the viticulture of our country and share with you what we learned during the festival as well some other facts you might find interesting.

10 Facts you didn’t know about Mexican wine

1. Mexico is the oldest wine-growing region in the Americas (450 years).

2. There are three major wine producing areas in Mexico, with Baja California producing 90% of Mexico’s wine in the Valle de Guadalupe, the “Napa Valley” of the Mexican wine industry.

3. Mexico is not a wine-drinking country, but interest in Mexican wine has grown along with Mexican wines’ reputation throughout the world.

4. Casa Madero is the oldest winery in the Americas. It was founded in 1597 by Lorenzo Garcia in the town of Santa Maria de las Parras in the state of Coahuila.

5. Valle de Guadalupe—in Baja California—is one of the few in the world, along with others such as the Napa Valley and the Rhone Valley, in which premium wine grapes can be grown.

6. Average wine consumption per capita in Mexico is only two glasses a year.

7. Wine making in Mexico begin with the arrival of the Spanish in the 16^th Century, when Spaniards brought vines from Europe to modern day Mexico.

8. Legend says that Hernan Cortes and his men exhausted their wine supply in celebrating the conquest of the Aztecs, so he ordered the new colonists to plant 1000 grapevines for every 100 natives in their service.

9. The grapes from Spain did so well in the New World that it threatened Spain’s wine exports, prompting Phillip II to prohibit the production of wine in New Spain with the exception of wine for church purposes.

10. Wine production and consumption in Mexico has been on the rise in both quantity and quality since the 1980s despite competition from foreign wines and a 40% tax on the product.

The first annual Mexican Wine Festival in the Riviera Maya is set to begin next Wednesday, March 9th to Saturday, March 12th. The festival will include conferences and workshops, wine tastings, and cultural events all in the Riviera Maya. The festival will feature more than 50 wine labels from 13 different Mexican wine houses.

One of the main objectives of the festival is to promote the knowledge, taste, and appreciation of the country’s wine industry. With more than four centuries of existence, the quality of Mexican wine transcends borders and is recognized in the international arena.

Winemakers, sommeliers, and chefs will be the stars of this exciting event as it will be the first time in history that more than 40 experts in Mexican wine will gather to share their extensive experience with the public.

Festival Schedule:
Wednesday March 9th, 2011
What:              Inauguration Ceremony
Where:             5th Avenue & Calle 38
When:              7:00 pm
Wine, art and music

Thursday March 10th and Friday, March 11th, 2011
What:              Conferences, workshops and tastings
Where:             The Royal Resort
When:              9:00 am to 6:00 p.m.
Conferences, workshops and training

Saturday, March 12^th, 2011
What:              Keynote Speaker & Round-table
Where:             Xcaret
When:              10:00 am
Theme: “The future of Mexican wine in Mexico. ”

Saturday, March 12^th, 2011
What:              Harvest Night
Where:             La Hacienda Henequenera at Xcaret,
When:              7:00 pm
13 wineries will announce winning wines and new releases.

During the afternoon on Thursday and Friday, March 10th and 11th, there will be food and wine pairings at 13 different ambassador restaurants (see list below) from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The cost will be a standard cost of 600 Mexican pesos at all restaurants. There will be a limit of 30 people per restaurant. Reservations through the restaurant are recommended.

Ambassador Restaurants:
Asiana
El Bistro
Blue Lobster
Byblos
Casa del Agua
Cava Veinte 33
Cocina 38
La Cueva del Chango
Frida at Grand Velas resort
Madre Tierra
El Puerto at Fairmont Mayakoba
Sur
Yaxche

In 2012, Tulum, home of the ancient Mayan ruins, will become even more popular than ever and not because of the Mayan prophecy of 2012. Instead, 2012 is the projected year that 3,700 acres (1.500 hectares) of Tulum jungle will be excavated for the first commercial airport in Mexico financed and operated privately by government concession, even though the first projected flights may not occur for four to five years.

Airport Pros & Cons

Planned for development 102 kilometers (63 miles) south of Cancun International Airport and 65 kilometers (40 miles) northwest of Cozumel International Airport, the new Riviera Maya International Airport is considered an important addition to the region, since the nearby town of Playa del Carmen is becoming a popular resort town for American and European travelers. Aimed at increasing air travel and improving Mexico’s economy in the southeast region, transportation officials anticipate the airport will bring 700,000 passengers in the first year and 3 million by the third year.

Since tourism is the third largest source of revenue in Mexico, the new airport will stimulate economic growth by increasing tourism, resort and residential real estate development, and construction jobs. Still, local and international communities are concerned about the impacts of the airport on the environment, since it will be built just 15.8 kilometers (10 miles) from the Tulum archaeological site of ancient Mayan ruins and will consume a huge section of rainforest and resident wildlife that could eventually lead to the extinction of various plant and animal species.

___________________

Airport Development

As a result of the controversy and competitive issues, the planning and approval stages of the Riviera Maya International Airport have been delayed for a number of years, but the project ultimately received official authorization to continue. The airport will consist of the terminal building, platforms, taxiways, 3,450 meters (11,319 feet) of runway, a control tower, operational areas, a gasoline refueling station, and other related developments.

Since May 2010, development companies have been submitting bids to the Secretary of Communications and Transportation (SCT) which have been and continue to be evaluated.

The designated development company will be selected from the following approved developers once the bidding process is complete at the end of 2010 or January 2011:

• Ideal, owned by Carlos Slim
• Grupo México, owned by German Larrea
• Omega, owned by Andres Holzer
• Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte (OMA), owned by Víctor Bravo
• Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP)
• Boston Infrastructure Investment
• TAV Airports Company

Unfortunately, development of the new Rivera Maya airport may be delayed even further (or possibly cancelled in extreme circumstances) due to the crisis in the Mexican aviation industry with the recent operational suspension of Mexicana Airlines and the cessation of seven other airlines in the past four years.

Presently, the bidding continues through January 2011, when one of the aforementioned development companies will be granted a 50-year concession to construct and operate the estimated $256 million USD ($3-5 billion MXN) airport project.

Tulum’s mayor, Marciano Dzul Caamal affirms: ”Although the economic crisis may postpone the timeframe for completion, the project itself won’t be suspended.”

What is your perspective on the development of the new Riviera Maya airport in Tulum?

Although the U.S.A. and China are at odds with each other about mutual expectations that the other take on added responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, representatives still believe the United Nations climate change conference from November 29th through December 10th is the beginning of positive movement towards significant environmental improvements in the future.

Nearly 200 nations are scheduled to meet in Cancun, Mexico, at the end of November 2010 for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  Their primary purpose is to address the establishment of a “green fund” to help emerging countries adapt to climate change (since they burn more fossil fuel energy while attempting to end poverty), sharing clean technology between countries, and protecting tropical rainforests which absorb carbon dioxide.

Although the principal concern is for industrialized nations to commit to reducing their GHG emissions − being the worst offenders − it is unlikely this will be resolved at the meeting.

The issue is presently too ambitious, but the goal of future meetings is to expand the United Nations’ Kyoto Protocol requiring industrialized countries to cut GHG emissions further.

Read the entire article from SwissInfo.ch:  U.N. Climate Talks Seek Limited Deal as Costs Soar.